Over a hundred years ago, Wellhausen attempted to prove that the Priestly legal sections of the Pentateuch reflect postexilic Judaism and must be considered a deviation from the prophetic religion preceding it. In this study, Weinfeld points out the fallacies in Wellhausen's thesis, making a case for the antiquity of the Priestly Code. Particular attention has been paid to the many parallels between the Priestly Law and ritual texts from the Ancient Near East. Weinfeld is Professor Emeritus in Biblical Studies at Hebrew U. in Jerusalem. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)